Are scientists wearing blinkers?
One of the commonest allegations against mainstream science is that its practitioners only see what they expect to see. Scientists often refuse to test fringe ideas because “science” tells them that this will be a waste of time and effort. Hence they miss ideas which could be very valuable. This is the “blinkers” argument, by analogy with the leather shields placed over horses eyes so that they only see the road ahead. It is often put forward by proponents of new-age beliefs and alternative health. It is certainly true that ideas from outside the mainstream of science can have a hard time getting established. But on the other hand the opportunity to create a scientific revolution is a very tempting one: wealth, fame and Nobel prizes tend to follow from such work. So there will always be one or two scientists who are willing to look at anything new. If you have such an idea, remember that the burden of proof is on you. Posting an explanation of your idea to sci.skeptic is a good start.
